Tough Love
by Itooshiaiko
Summary: Albel's been having trouble accepting the feelings he has fot Cliff. Maybe their new mission will help? CliffAlbel


Title: Tough Love  
Rating: M/NC-17/R (rated for probable sex later on)  
Characters or Pairings: Cliff/Albel, as well as appearances by the rest of the crew of the Diplo  
Status: Incomplete  
Notes: AN RP I started with Niffe, I though I'd post it after receiving permission of course.  
Disclaimer: Neither Niffe nor I own Star Ocean: Till the End of Time. If we did there would be more yaoi/slash, more perversions, and we would be able to see more of Albel's underwear. Not to mention certain characters would Magically disappear.

**Chapter 1 - Awkward**

Albel walked through the Diplo, wandering around the ship aimlessly. It had been a month since he had aided the maggots on Elicoor II and had been wounded. Luckily the maggots' technology had allowed him to heal faster than normal.

Mirage had been walking downstairs to see how their grumpiest companion was doing. "Albel!" She called to him.

Spotting her coming towards him Albel scowled. Just what he needed a confrontation with one of the maggots. He looked around for an escape and slipped into the room closest to him.

Cliff was in the process of drying his hair from the shower he had recently had, the sound of the dryer blocked out Albel's sudden entrance.

Albel stopped at the sight in front of him quite shocked. He certainly had not expected to see a partially nude Cliff when he made his escape. He briefly thought about retreating back into the hallway, but hearing Mirage still calling for him, he decided against it.

Cliff continued to blow dry his hair, fluffing it lightly and reaching over to grab some gel, only to have it topple over and the ground with a dull thud. He sighed to himself, standing up so he could retrieve it revealing his water soaked body, his pants were dangerously loose and on the verge of falling off.

A strangled sound came from Albel's throat. This was like his worst nightmare come true! Oh course what he considered nightmares were actually very erotic wet dreams.

Cliff's eyes met Albel's and in a very comic like fashion widened. "A-" His voice choked, "Albel?"

"Don't get any idea you lummox! I'm only here to escape one of your maggot friends." Albel said, his voice tight with the irritation that wasn't at all due to actually having to hide from Mirage. Oh no, definitely not. And that was not a blush staining his cheeks. He was only flushed with anger.

Cliff chuckled in bewilderment. "O-Okay." He stuttered.

Albel glared at him before turning away, not to hide anything of course. "I will be required to remain he until she ceases her pursuit of me. I expect there is no problems with that?"

Cliff just shook his head. "Alright."

"Good." Albel walked over to Cliff's bed and sat down on it, crossing his arms, and glaring at the far wall or anywhere but Cliff.

Cliff just finished picking up his gel, slowly squeezing out some and running it through his hair. He started up his hair dryer again and continued blow-drying his hair.

The noise was quite irritating, Albel thought to himself. He did not thing he would ever get used to some of these 'advanced' contraptions. The ox's hair was short enough to dry by itself, why did he need to use a machine to dry it faster?

Cliff raised his eyes to meet Albel's. He stared at him for a moment with some unknown emotion in his eyes.

Embarrassed Albel quickly lowered his eyes. What was the look? Why was Cliff looking at him like that? And why in all the seven hells did it make his heart pound so?

Cliff smiled, "Hey," he said softly, "you okay?

"I'm fine maggot!" Albel cried, harsher than he intended to.

Cliff looked startled. "Uh...sorry?"

Albel huffed, looking away angry with himself. "What are you apologizing for lummox?"

"Uh...you sounded angry..er than you usually do." Cliff said, rubbing the back of his head

"Yes well, that was. . . unintended." Albel finished lamely. He was having trouble thinking around Cliff. As long as the other didn't come any closer everything would be fine.

"All right." Cliff said, grinning like an idiot. He started going back to blow-drying his hair.

Albel turned to glare at him, more importantly the hair dryer in his hand. "Must you do that? You have hardly enough hair to worry about!"

Cliff chuckled, muttering to himself about a cat. "My hair is really thick."

"Oh yes, and it must be so much trouble." Albel muttered sarcastically. He gestured to his own hair, tightly wrapped as per normal. "This is trouble. Both in its thickness and length."

Cliff smirked. "Must be hell to deal with."

Albel flicked one of the wrapped strands carelessly. "You could not even begin to imagine worm."

Smiling Cliff moved closer to Albel. "I bet I could, I had to take care of a little girl for a good eight years."

"The obnoxious female maggot." Albel said off-handily. Noticing Cliff had moved closer to him he scooted away, since he was sitting in the centre of the bed, which put him closer to the head of the bed and the wall.

Frowning slightly, Cliff looked at Albel with another unreadable expression. "If that's a hassle I could help you." He finally said.

Albel glared at him, his body tense. "If what is a hassle overgrown ox?"

"Your hair." Cliff answered simply.

"I do not need you to help me with my hair." Albel said stiffly. "I only wash it when it needs to be washed, and hardly take it out of its wraps."

"Well that would probably be best and most convenient for you wouldn't it?" Cliff said, smiling with that still unreadable emotion in his eyes.

The unreadable emotion in Cliff's eyes made Albel nervous. "Yes, it is more convenient. Especially since Aryglyph did not have the convenience of showers."

"But you have baths there right?" Cliff asked. A small drop of water ran down his face onto his lips, which he quickly licked away.

"Oh course maggot!" Albel snapped, his bright red. "But it was an inconvenience to heat the water most of the time."

"So you don't wash?" Cliff asked.

Albel's right eyebrow twitched. "Of course I bathe! The majority of the time however it was in the river near the Kirsla training facility."

"Oh?" Cliff asked with a raised eyebrow. "Aren't you afraid someone will attack you?

"Now why would I be afraid of that?" Albel asked insulted. "I can take care of myself. I am the captain of Aryglyph's Black Brigade."

Cliff chuckled to himself, "All the more reason to protect yourself, don't you have a lot of enemies?"

"None of them would be stupid enough to try to attack me so close to the training facility." Muttered Albel darkly. "I've done it for years and the only problem I had were my soldiers coming around to give me senseless reports."

"Maybe they were trying to catch a look at your beautiful body." Cliff said chuckling.

Albel scoffed. "That is preposterous. None of my men would stoop so low."

Cliff just shook his head. "Just a joke."

"Just a joke my ass." Albel muttered under his breath. It did seem plausible though. Especially when they gave him reports on things repeatedly.

Cliff laughed a little in an attempt to lighten the mood. "Don't get bent out of shape."

Albel practically hissed at him. "I am not bent out of shape! Lummox! And why do you keep getting closer to me!" He added pointing an accusing finger at Cliff.

Cliff looked startled at the accusing finger. "Uh sorry..." He said.

Realizing that he probably looked like a fool, Albel scoffed and crossed his arms. "Whatever. . .worm."

"Sorry 'Bel. Didn't mean to make you angry." Cliff said, giving a friendly smile.

"Hmph." Albel couldn't think of anything to say, or think. "It's nothing worm." He said his voice dipping into a whisper.

Cliff stood up suddenly, stretching his muscles. "I think Mirage is gone." He said finally. "You can go if you like."

Thankful, yet somehow disappointed, Albel nodded and stood. "Then I will see you around maggot." He said as he pushed by Cliff to get to the door. He was definitely not doing it to feel Cliff's muscles against him, no sire not Albel Nox.

Cliff smiled at Albel as he left, shaking his head after and muttering to himself about keeping better control.

Meanwhile Albel Nox, captain of the Black Brigade, Albel the Twisted; stalked through the halls away from Cliff Fittir's room with an incredible problem that could only be taken care of one way. A very cold shower.

Well that's that. Hope you enjoyed the first chapter Please review


End file.
